The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-06-01
THE BANQUET BOARD.
The Bar and Citizens of Fort Benton Give
Judge Mcconnell Pleasant Re-
ceptiOn.

fiCiu III tt1IE CIV Ile vi bEIt-
| con Junction with other citizens, Thursday
evening rendered a reception and banquet
to Chief Justice Mcconnell, at the Cho-
teau house, in which some forty persons
participated. and il i almost unnecessary
to add that it was Il very enjoyable occa-
sion. Fort Benton banqnet> are invaria-
| bly, such. On this occasion landlord Sui
| livan outdid himself. and if the tables did
not groan beneath the weight of all t1e staff
and luxurirS of life to he had in the mar
ket, they certainly would have done SO if
| they could have found Il voice TO express
| their torture.
| Col. Leaning was selected as master Of
| the interesting ceremonies and with the
guest of the evening at his right the party
was seated about nine O'Clock and the
hands OF the dial ranged close to twelve
before the attack OH the viands ended
After the ''sub-tantals'' received proper
consideration and the popping Of corks ar
| rested the attention of the chairman he
announced as the first toast of the evening,
"The Future Of Northern Montana" and
called on Mr.. T. E. Collins to respond,
which he did at length. Mr.. Collins be-
lieves the future of Northern Montana is
bright and glorious. No function of the
territorial or state government will have
greater influence in moulding that future
than the judicial and the speaker reioiced
that we had in our new chief justice so
worthy representative of that depart
ment. lie referred to the past periods in
the history of Montana and said that
Northern Montana was now just entering
upon an era of the greatest progress and
prosperity. Its agricultural, pastoral and
mineral resources will make it the peer Of
any portion Of the northwest. Inside of
five years, instead OF being sparsely set
tied region, Northern Montana will have
a population many times greater than now
and when the chief justice comes to Fort
Benton as the presiding officer of the su-
preme court of the state of Montana a few
very few-years hence he will be well
coined by thousands at the river metropolis
of Montana instead Of the few who greet
him here tonight
"The bar of Great Falls'' was next pro-
posed and Mr.. G.. w. Taylor called upon
to respond. Mr.. Taylor expressed his
pleasure at being able to join with the bar
of Fort Benton in extending greeting to
Judge Mcconnell. It was the first time
he had met with the Benton bar about
the social board and he hoped to enjoy
many such occasions in the future. He
spoke in glowing words of Great Falls and
insisted that there is no good reason for
rivalry or jealousy between the two towns
as the country was big enough and great
enough to sustain both and many others.
AS to the bar of Great Falls he said it is
somewhat limited, which is to be expect
ed at town that is not county seat.
We were downed by Benton last winter
in the Cascade county matter and [ am
willing to admit that you got away with
us in good shape. But we hope soon to
have new county and terms of court at
Great Falls when we will take pleasure in
returning this banquet.
sOfficers of Courts of Justioe0 was
briefly responded to by J. w. Tattan, dep
uty district clerk for Choteau county. He
extended thanks for the compliment in be-
half of himself and the other officers of
the court with the hope that all had done
their duty. His only regret in regard to
the presiding officer of the court is that he
does not reside in Fort Benton ''on the
hill around the corner"
'sThe Legal Profession" was next pre-
posed and Mr.. Ell. G. McIntire called to
respond. He spoke briefly, passing the
highest eneomiums on the profession of the
law. 1t has its rewards and triumphs,
with its drawbacks, but no man need have
higher ambition than to be a worthy and
leading representative of that profession
which has in its hands the highest rights
of mantle rights of life, liberty and
property. In Fort Benton there are bat
few members of the profession but am
glad to say the utmost good feeling and
cordiality prevails among US.
The speech of the evening, so far as
Fort Bentonites are concerned, was made
by Mr.. w. G. Conrad In response to ''The
Future OF Fort Benton.'a Mr.. Conrad
said he is not speaker but if there is any
subject he can talk on and become fairly
enthusiastic over it is that just announced
by the chairman. have Just returned /
from the east and can say to you that Fort
Benton is attracting the greatest interest /
at Sc. Paul and elsewhere in the north
west. Imet great many business men
and they talked nothing else but Fort
Benton. Onmy way east ! was inter-
viewed by Pioneer Press reporter and
was not a little astonished at what saw
the next morning. Most of it had never
thought of before had one on. two ,.on